The Ruins of Heaven
by Dragonfly-Moonlight
Summary: Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are pulled into the world of Krynn but for what purpose? All will be revealed as the search for the two demons escalates.
1. Chapter 1

Bored. That's what he was. Bored. Kagome had gone home to her time for a few days, for some more 'tests' while Sango had taken the time to head back to her village for repairs to her weapon and paid her respects to her fallen kin. The taijiya had taken Shippou and Kirara with her as well, which had relieved him of the burden of caring for the kitsune. And Miroku . . . well, the lecherous monk had been approached by a nearby village to perform an actual exorcism. He wouldn't be back for a few days so that really left the hanyou with no one to talk to and with nothing to do.

Inuyasha yawned and stretched himself out amid the branches of the Goshinboku tree. Well, he _did_ have something he could do. Granted, a nap wouldn't take that long and he couldn't very well sleep the entire time the others were gone but it was something to do at that moment. And it had been a while since he'd been able to take a nice, long nap. Without the various interruptions that had come his way since Kagome had released him from Kikyou's spell.

'Kind of nice to actually have things quiet for a change,' he mused as his eyes started to close. 'Been traveling in a pack for so long, I've forgotten what it's like to have some time alone.'

Letting out another yawn, Inuyasha made himself comfortable and tried to relax. Within moments, his breathing had steadied out and his body had relaxed. It wouldn't be hard to get to sleep at this point, so long as a demon didn't attack the village.

'I can get to them if anything happens,' he reasoned, his mind becoming sleep-addled. 'Just need to close my eyes for a little while . . .'

He'd just about fallen asleep when a very familiar scent reached him. Inuyasha's eyes fluttered open, his face furrowed with thought and drowsiness. If there was anything that he wouldn't let himself do, it was rest with a potential threat nearby. Inuyasha stretched some, ignoring the protests of his body as he did so. He really didn't want to get up but with a certain youkai in close proximity to him, he knew he had to. Despite his weariness, Inuyasha leapt out of the tree with the greatest of ease and landed on his feet.

'What does _he_ want _this_ time?'

Slowly, Inuyasha followed the scent to a clearing. He skimmed over the area quickly – wasn't much to see, just the open area and the trees – then focused his attention on the tall figure who had his back to him. Long, silver hair cascaded down the person's back while a white kimono with the red embroidery of some nameless flower along the sleeves, and a tail-like wrap floated in a light breeze. He seemed to illuminate the area, as if he were the only light. Rubbing his eyes and yawning a little, Inuyasha made his way towards his brother, idly wondering when it had gotten dark. It had been still light out when he'd started to fall asleep.

"It's about time you got here, little brother," Sesshomaru murmured smoothly, turning around languidly. A light smirk graced the older male's features.

"About time I got here?" Inuyasha blinked, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means you took your time in getting here," came the smooth statement. "I know you detected me the moment I came here . . . yet you didn't come rushing in, sword drawn and a battle cry on your lips. That's what you normally do when you detect my presence . . . isn't it?"

"Yeah . . . so what?"

"That isn't like you, little brother."

"Since when did you care?" he shot back.

"I don't. I just merely stated a truth, Inuyasha. That's all," Sesshomaru murmured.

"So I didn't come barging towards you this time," Inuyasha shrugged, sauntering closer. "Big deal. I'm not the only one who's acting strangely."

"Oh?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at him. Barely perceptible to the human eye, but noticeable to Inuyasha. Since some of his recent battles with his older brother, Inuyasha had started to make it a habit to notice any little detail his enemy did, facial expressions and all. He wasn't going to head back to the village, limping, simply because he'd allowed an enemy to get the better of him. Not anymore.

"Yeah . . . Don't you normally come and seek me out when you wanna fight with me?"

Sesshomaru smirked a little.

"So I do," he purred. "Very good, Inuyasha. How astute of you to actually notice something about your enemy. Especially for being a half-demon."

Inuyasha paused in mid-stride and scowled at his brother. Ire started to rise within him. His eyes narrowed. Sesshomaru always knew what to strike him with. Every single time.

'I can't let him goad me,' Inuyasha told himself, his hands flexing. 'I can't. It's what he wants and I don't want to give that smug bastard anything.'

Inuyasha took a deep breath, hoping to calm himself down before he attacked.

"I'll say it again, Sesshomaru . . . what do you want? And you'd better have a fucking good reason for being here, too."

"What makes you think I want anything from you?" Sesshomaru shrugged. "You're hardly worth my time . . . half-breed."

He growled at the inuyoukai before him, his fangs bared and his hands clenched tight. All that he wanted to do at that moment was rip his brother's throat out and be back on his way. To hell with the promise to himself. He'd been in the middle of a rather nice nap when his brother had come along. He wanted to get back to it. With no further interruptions.

'No . . . I can't let him get the better of me . . . he wants to get me angry so I'll attack . . . I can't let him do that . . .'

"Why are you here, Sesshomaru? And you better give me a straight answer this time. I'm getting tired of your shit and your fucking little mind games."

"Tsk, such vulgar language, _little_ brother," the older male mocked. "What would Father say? Do you honestly believe he'd be proud of such a pathetic creature like you?"

"You know I don't give a damn about what he'd say or how he'd feel," he spat out. "Not like he was ever around for me anyway, the worthless bastard . . ."

Before he could say anything more, Sesshomaru's wrap shot out and wrapped around him, tossing him into the air. Pain erupted in his back as he slammed against a nearby tree then again in his chest as he hit the ground.

"Show some respect for the one who sired you, Inuyasha. If it hadn't been for him rutting with that human mother of yours, you wouldn't be alive," Sesshomaru intoned coldly.

"Why the hell do you care what I do and what I don't do?" he rasped out, struggling to his feet. "You're not my . . ."

A hand squeezing his throat cut him off as golden eyes burned into his eyes. His feet dangled in the air. Instinctively, Inuyasha grabbed his brother's wrist and dug his claws into the older male's flesh.

"You are such a child, Inuyasha. Father _died_ to protect you and that whore mother of yours yet you do whatever you can to disrespect him. He should have killed the both of you before you were born. It's all that you deserve. Consider this to be your lesson in manners and respect."

The slight movement of Sesshomaru's hand was the only warning he had then he flew through the air once more, landing face first into a pool of water . . . and continued to sink.

Inuyasha's eyes flew open as the water enveloped him. He hadn't recalled seeing any water in the clearing as he had entered it nor did he recall smelling any water close by. The fact that he was sinking at a rapid pace was not lost on him, either. Panicking, he struggled to make his way back to the surface, inhaling water as he did so. Instead of going up, however, his body plunged further into the green depths.

'No! This can't be happening! It can't be! Sesshomaru!'

Clawed fingers stretched out as he reached for the ever shrinking surface. The water continued to swirl around him, and his eyes started to feel heavy, weighted down even. His body tingled, as if every part of him was coming alive . . . but he felt tired, weary. Inuyasha lunged forward in one final, desperate attempt to break free from whatever was dragging him done but to no avail. His body sank lower into the emerald depths. A pang of guilt and regret stabbed at him as his vision became clouded and the surface disappeared into green nothingness.

'It can't end like this . . . Sesshomaru, please . . . Not like this . . . please . . .'

With his lungs losing air, Inuyasha's eyes closed, his brother's words echoing in his ears . . .

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Sesshomaru kept his gaze on the water, not quite believing what he was seeing. The pool itself had not been there a moment ago. At least, not that he could recall and he held pride within himself to notice everything about his surroundings. Now his brother had disappeared into its shimmering green depths . . . and had not surfaced.

"Inuyasha?"

He took a step forward, a torrent of emotions washing over him – fear, anger, panic, disbelief, sadness. Ruthlessly, he shoved those emotions to the side. He had no time for them. Drawing a deep breath, Sesshomaru straightened his back and narrowed his eyes. His brother had decided to play with him the same way he had played with Inuyasha. He was in no mood to play. Not anymore.

"Inuyasha . . ."

His next words were cut off as the water receded away from him, creating a luminescent wall. He watched as it rose higher and higher, stopping when it reached the tree tops.

Sesshomaru afforded himself a quick glance over this unusual sight, hoping to catch a glimpse of Inuyasha and whoever might be behind this. He knew Inuyasha wasn't behind it; his brother lacked the power and concentration to be able to pull something like this off. And he knew that it wasn't the miko or any of Inuyasha's other friends. They had left the village some time ago.

To his dismay, he saw no signs of Inuyasha. The hanyou had somehow managed to completely disappear in the shimmering emerald wateriness. Then Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. Not only could he not see Inuyasha but he couldn't see the forest behind the water, either.

'Just as I thought . . . it's enchanted . . .'

Tentacles shot out at him at that moment, tentacles made out of water. Hand on his sword, he prepared to attack, to strike back . . .


	2. Chapter 2

Morning dawned, crisp and clear, over Solace. Those who weren't already awake were getting up to greet the day.

Solace was located in the valley near the mountains. To the north rested Crystalmir Lake, a favourite place the town's youth to hang out at. There, they would learn how to swim and handle a boat. It was also the place where young men would take would-be girlfriends for picnics . . . and a little more.

To the west of Solace was Darken Wood, a place said to be haunted. According to rumour, those who entered were never heard from again. Very few ventured there.

To the east were the plains of Que-teh and Que-shu, home to several tribes of barbarians. The humans living on the plains were mistrustful of most other races, including unfamiliar people from their own race. They valued loyalty and honour above all else.

Finally, to the south of Solace was Qualinost, home of the Qualinesti Elves. As with most of the Elves on Krynn, the Qualinesti believed themselves to be superior among all the races, including their Elven brethren.

Solace was unique among other towns. Like all towns, Solace had its bakers and its metalsmiths, grocers and armorers, and an Inn. Unlike other towns, only the smithies were on the ground. The rest of the buildings, including the Inn, had been built among the trees, and had been among the trees since the days of the Cataclysm. Life had gone on after that and would continue to do so.

It was in Solace that a group of unlikely people had joined forces. For what purpose, they didn't know and wouldn't know until much later in their quest. That knowledge was for the Gods alone. They were traveling together, a half-elven warrior, a kender, a dwarf, two barbarians, a Solamnic Knight, a third human fighter, and his wizarding twin. That's all they knew.

The leader of the small group, a tall man with reddish hair, slightly pointy ears, and a beard (the half-elf), had just called a halt. They had just gotten started, after packing their gear together, so they hadn't gone very far, when the half-elf squinted his eyes and quickly surveyed the area.

"Something wrong, Tanis?" came the quiet inquiry.

"Yeah," he murmured, nodding. He frowned as he looked around. "I thought I saw something."

"Where?"

His eyes focused on the field of tall grass to their left, his eyes narrowing. The grass moved again, as if there were something or someone hiding there.

"There," he nodded.

"Do you want me to check it out, Tanis?" the kender inquired.

Tanis hesitated. He really didn't want to send the diminutive and inquisitive kender towards a potential threat yet he also didn't want to scare anyone who might just happened to be taking a rest in the field. The half-elf drew a deep breath then started to give his okay.

"You won't find anything there," a cool voice stated. "He's already moved to another hiding spot."

Startled, everyone whirled around to see who had spoken, their hands going to their weapons. Behind them stood a tall man with long, flowing silver hair, and pointed ears. He wore dark robes, had two swords hanging on his left, and what appeared to be a very large piece of animal fluff hanging off his right shoulder. If it hadn't been for the blue crescent moon, two reddish-purple stripes on each cheek, and the man's golden-amber eyes, Tanis would have sworn the stranger was of elven blood. Yet he wasn't. Tanis could tell. Something about this stranger had him greatly unsettled.

"Won't find who?" he finally ventured to ask. "And who are you?"

"My little brother," the stranger replied in the same cool tone. "And my name is Sesshomaru. You would do well to remember it."

His eyes traveled over each member of his party, as if he were trying to determine each person's threat level. At least . . . that's how it appeared to Tanis. But a little voice whispered to him that it wasn't the case. This Sesshomaru, he possessed a great power. If he had wanted them dead, they wouldn't have known what had hit them. He'd been able to sneak up behind them without giving himself away. Then Sesshomaru's eyes traveled back to the field but not in the same spot that Tanis had been looking at. Before they knew it, Sesshomaru had moved from behind them to the field. A squawk caught their attention as the silver-haired man picked up a young boy from the tall grass. In fact, the boy's cry of surprise had been their only indication of Sesshomaru's location. Stunned, they could only watch as Sesshomaru strode towards them once more, the boy grasped tightly with one arm.

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By no means at all was Sesshomaru happy. He'd gone to Edo for the sole purpose of tormenting Inuyasha. Get the hanyou riled up so he could smack him around for a bit. That had been all. And things had been going rather well, in Sesshomaru's opinion. Inuyasha, as always, had been easy to rile up and this occasion had been no different.

Then Inuyasha had made the comment about their father. For some reason, it had irritated Sesshomaru. Maybe it had been because InuTaisho had died for Inuyasha and Izayoi . . . or maybe it had been because of Rin. Either way, Inuyasha's blatant disrespect for their heritage upset him. He couldn't let it go unpunished.

The hanyou was meant to hit another tree . . . not fall into that strange, magical pool. Instead, his brother had entered that emerald green water and never resurfaced. Once it had swallowed his brother, the water had gone after him. It had sprouted water tentacles after forming a wall. Sesshomaru had evaded it the best he could but to no avail. The water came crashing down around him, making him feel as if he were drowning. His senses had tingled and so had his body, but he'd sunk deeper into the shimmering depths, despite his attempts to free himself. He'd lost consciousness, figuring himself to be dead. The same as Inuyasha.

'This was not what I was expecting,' he scowled to himself, tucking Inuyasha under his arm and walking back to the group of mortals. He couldn't say all of them were human. Some of them were . . . different. Mortal but not human. Sesshomaru glanced at the child he now carried.

He'd awoken to sunlight in his eyes, birds chirping . . . and his brother's scent all around him. Both of them were very much alive but the hanyou had undergone a very serious change. Instead of the loud-mouthed, arrogant brat he'd grown accustomed to dealing with, the hanyou was now a child of about eight years. He no longer carried the Tetsusaiga and the rosary that had been around his neck had disappeared. Gone from Inuyasha's eyes were any traces of hatred and anger. They had been replaced with happiness and a childlike wonder . . . the way they had been before Sesshomaru had cast him out.

Then there had been the changes _he_ had undergone. He still had his swords and his fur stole. For that he was thankful. But his kimono and armor were gone. He now wore deep black robes . . . and a strange new power surged through him. It felt familiar yet foreign. But he hadn't had a chance to test it. Inuyasha hadn't strayed far from him and chosen to return the moment he'd come to. The hanyou had no recollection of what had happened and had no idea of how they had gotten to where they were. All the boy had been able to say was that it wasn't home.

'Not like home, indeed,' he sighed as he unceremoniously dropped Inuyasha to the ground. The female of the group stared at him, as if shocked that he'd be so careless with such a small child. He met all of their gazes as he would anyone else's . . . that of a demon lord. He couldn't kill them. Not yet. Not when they could be of use to him. They knew the land. He didn't.

"We will travel with you."


	3. Chapter 3

"Mistress . . ."

"What is it?" came the irritable feminine voice's demand.

"We wish to report to you . . . some good news and some bad news . . ."

"Well? Tell me!" the female commanded harshly.

"We have succeeded in bringing the half-demon to our realm. We have even changed him from an adult to a child, as you wished."

"Really?" came the purr. "Where is he? In one of the holding cells?"

"That is the bad news, I'm afraid. He is near Solace . . . or so our scouts have told us."

"What! How did this happen?"

"His brother was enveloped by the water as well. They are together. Given the half-demon child's status now, we have no doubts that the full demon will protect him. They are kin, after all."

"Hmph . . . well, we'll just see about that now, won't we? Send troops after them. I want that child."

"Yes, mistress."

'Soon, sweet one, you will be within my grasp and the portal will be able to be opened. Very soon, indeed.'

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Tasselhoff let out a heavy sigh then cast a glance back at the newest additions to their traveling group. He had no doubts that the little boy with them would be someone interesting to talk to and maybe even have a little bit of fun with, but the child stayed close to the taller male. Of course, Tasselhoff wasn't sure he could say he blamed the boy. They acted as if they had no idea as to where they were at.

'Maybe they don't,' he reasoned, turning his attention back to the road. 'They don't look like any race I've ever seen before.'

Sure, the older of the two had some elvish features to him. He had very long, silvery hair and the pointy ears, like all elves had. But the colourings on his face . . . they never washed off. They'd been with the group for over two days and Tasselhoff had watched the one called Sesshomaru cleaning himself off. When he'd splashed water on his face, the stripes, the crescent moon, the pink on his eyelids remained. The younger one, Inuyasha, had silvery white hair and golden eyes, much like Sesshomaru's, but his ears . . . his ears were on top of his head. Not on the sides like everyone else's. Both had claws and fangs, giving the kender the idea that maybe they were vampires or something. Then there was the fact that there was something very unsettling about the two. They both could smell things long before anyone else in the group smelled them and could detect if someone was friend or foe by scent alone . . . they even saw better in the dark than what Tanis could and Tanis was half elvish!

'I'd hate to have to fight against them,' the kender mused. 'They both look like they can handle things on their own. Still, I wish the kid would come up and talk to me. I'm sure he's a lot of fun and would be interested in hearing my stories.'

He heaved another sigh. So much for the new companions being interesting.

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Fizzban huffed a little as he ran towards the road. Of all the things to happen, of all the things Takhisis had to do, she had to bring two demons from another realm into their own. And not just any demons. Both were the sons of a powerful demon lord known as InuTaisho. Granted, the oldest son was the only full-blooded demon and the youngest son was only half, having had a human mother, but both were formidable in their own rights. And having just the half-demon in this realm would prove deadly. He and the other Gods and Goddesses knew it. The half-demon was the key.

'Can't think about that now,' he wheezed. 'Must get to them before Takhisis's servants reach them. I must keep the half-demon safe. I must.'

He ran as fast as his legs would carry him . . .

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"What are you doing?"

Sturm looked up at the quiet inquiry only to have his eyes meet the golden gaze of the silver-haired child that had somehow become one of their newest traveling companions. He'd just gotten back from gathering firewood and had set about building a campfire so they could keep warm and cook some of their rations. Curiosity lit the boy's eyes and a soft smile had graced his lips. It was the first time he'd spoken to anyone.

'Such a lively child . . . his eyes . . . they're like twin suns . . . as are his brother's. Where did they come from? They're not like anyone I've ever met!'

"I'm building a fire," Sturm replied.

"Oh . . . can I help?"

"Sure," the knight nodded, handing over a few of the branches. "You place them in a pile like this . . ."

As he spoke, Sturm strategically placed the branches in a circle and on top of each other. The boy watched him intently and soon began to mimic his movements.

"And now that we're done, we light it," he finished.

"How?" came the inquiry.

"Like this . . ."

He pulled out the piece of flint and hard stone then struck them together until a few sparks landed amongst the dry leaves. Within moments, he had a crackling fire going. Sturm raised his head and offered the child a smile. The boy's eyes had widened almost in delight as the fire got started.

"And now we have a fire. Thank you for your help, Inuyasha."

"You're welcome," the boy whispered.

"Inuyasha," a cold voice intoned. "Come over here."

As the child scampered over to his older brother, Sturm couldn't help but smile a little more.

'Definitely a lively soul. There's a lot of honour in him. In his brother as well. They're like Caramon and Raistlin yet . . . they're not. They're different. Somehow. They have their own kind of affection for each other. I wonder where they came from. Ah well. It doesn't matter. I am just glad he's with us.'

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Tanis shook his head as he heard Sesshomaru's command to Inuyasha and watched as the boy hurried over to the older male. The fact they were brothers, or at least half-brothers, was not lost on the half-elf. In some ways, they reminded him of how Raistlin and Caramon had become, but without the snide remarks coming from Sesshomaru. However, it wasn't their behaviours or mannerisms that concerned him. It was _what_ they were that did.

'They're not elves. Even though Sesshomaru has the ears for it, he isn't an elf. His senses are better than those of an elf. I've never heard of an elf that could hear and smell things as well as he does. As well as either of them do. Then there's Inuyasha . . . and his ears. They're almost like, like . . . dog ears . . . but that isn't possible . . . is it?'

Given everything that had been happening lately, Tanis wasn't so sure anymore. Those strange priests were nothing like anything he had ever seen. So it was possible that were some dog-like creatures out there . . . he hoped.

'At least the boy's helpful. I'm not so sure about Sesshomaru . . . yet.'

"Is there something bothering you, Tanis?"

Startled, Tanis blinked only to see Sesshomaru standing before him, his golden eyes flashing. He took a deep breath then let it out. Sesshomaru appearing out of nowhere was something that he hadn't been expecting. Tanis shook his head.

"No," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"You were watching us," came the smooth answer. "More specifically, Inuyasha. Again."

"I can't help it . . . you and your brother have me intrigued," Tanis confessed.

"Oh?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at him, sending a tiny shiver of fear through him. Tanis got the distinct feeling that he was talking to someone who would and could kill him without batting an eye or feeling guilty over it. His presence was very commanding, too. Tanis felt himself saying things he wouldn't have said otherwise.

"Yes," Tanis nodded. "I've been trying to figure out what you and your brother are. You're nothing like anything any of us have ever encountered."

"I see . . ." The silver-haired male smirked. "We don't fit into any of your pre-conceived notions of race, I take it?"

It came out as a question but was more of a statement. Somehow, Sesshomaru had hit upon the problem.

'He's dangerous,' a little voice whispered but Tanis ignored it. Again, he nodded.

"Yes. I guess you could say that."

"Then I shall make it clear for you, Tanis Half-Elven. Very clear. You won't wonder anymore."

"I won't?" Tanis blinked. Already he didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Oh yes," Sesshomaru assured. "I guarantee it."

"Okay . . . what are you?"

"We're demons."


	4. Chapter 4

Tanis felt his jaw drop at Sesshomaru's confession. They were . . . demons? How was it even possible?

'They can't be,' his mind reasoned. 'The boy is far too nice to be any demon or demon spawn, and Sesshomaru . . . hasn't eaten any of us . . .'

'But it explains a lot,' another voice piped in. 'Their claws, their fangs . . . their behaviours . . . everything, really.'

'But it isn't possible. Demons don't exist anymore. Just like . . .'

'The Gods? The Gods exist. You know that they do. Just because they haven't shown themselves since the Cataclysm doesn't mean they don't exist. You know this. Besides, why would Sesshomaru lie about his heritage? He seems quite proud to be what he is.'

Tanis opened his mouth to speak but never got the chance. Above them, the sky darkened and a loud, earth-shattering screech filled the air . . .

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"My Queen, we have located the boy. Our troops are retrieving him now."

"What about his brother?" Talons tapped idly, irritably on a dark crimson surface.

"What about him?" came the cool reply. "He'll die right alongside the others. By the end of the day, the boy and the blue crystal staff will be ours. I guarantee it."

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"Sesshomaru!"

At the sound of his name, Sesshomaru looked around to see where his brother had gotten to. The boy _had_ been told to take cover, not just by him but by Tanis and the other fighters in the group. It had been for Inuyasha's safety, especially since he was pretty much defenseless in a battle situation. However, that didn't mean that the enemy wouldn't be able to find him. There was something unusual about these winged creatures, something unusual . . . and yet oh-so-familiar. They practically wreaked of the stench of dragons.

'And if they're of draconic origin . . .'

His eyes widened as he saw a group of about ten of these creatures advancing upon his brother. The boy was surrounded and he looked about frantically for some way to escape. Had he been his true age, Sesshomaru knew that these creatures wouldn't frighten Inuyasha. As the loud and brash hanyou that he truly was, Inuyasha would have been hacking away at them with the Tetsusaiga. Hell, the Tetsusaiga would definitely have been extremely useful right about now and Sesshomaru knew it.

The creatures that had his brother surrounded were leering at him, their eyes glinting with malicious delight. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and, before he could even think of what to do next, he moved. With one swipe of Tokijin and a flick of his wrap, the creatures were down and Inuyasha safely in his arms. A low growl escaped him as he did so, a growl of warning. The creatures abandoned their fight with the humans to surround him, their weapons trained on him and the boy.

'So it's Inuyasha they're after. But why? Why do they want a half-breed?'

Sesshomaru wasn't so sure he wanted to find out. The whelp was the last thing he had of his father and he wasn't about to lose him. Not now. Not ever.

'Where did that come from?' he thought idly as Inuyasha slid to the ground then grabbed onto him for dear life. Sesshomaru raised his hand, his poison whip at the ready. He let out another warning growl, daring the creatures to come closer and take what was rightfully his. A strange cackling came from them and they sprang forward . . .


	5. Chapter 5

Tanis couldn't stop himself from shaking. Not after what he'd just witnessed. Not after Sesshomaru had proved his words to be true.

They'd been in the middle of a battle . . . those strange lizard creatures had had them surrounded, somehow cutting Inuyasha off from the rest of the group. How that had happened, the half-elf didn't know. He just knew that, as soon as the boy had cried out for his older brother, all hell had broken loose. Quite literally.

Sesshomaru had emitted a very low growl that had resounded throughout the entire area. Birds had immediately taken to flight and the strange creatures had stopped to stare at the silver-haired male. _Everyone_ had stopped to stare at Sesshomaru, and it was that sight and had happened afterwards that still had Tanis shaken.

The tall male stood staring at those who had surrounded Inuyasha, his eyes bleeding red . . . but not from blood. Sesshomaru's face had then started to change, twisting as if to accomodate some new form. His fangs had grown as had his claws. The strange fur that was always about his shoulders suddenly snapped out and grabbed Inuyasha, sending him flying towards Sturm. Whether the knight had caught the boy, Tanis couldn't say. He'd been too enthralled in watching Sesshomaru as he moved with an uncanny, unhuman speed, slicing through the lizard things as if they were nothing but paper to him. Before he knew it, none of the strange creatures had remained . . . and there wasn't even a mark on Sesshomaru.

For a moment, after he'd slain every last one of their enemies, no one spoke. No one even dared to breathe . . . except for maybe Inuyasha, who had been the first one to break the silence by running towards Sesshomaru. Goldmoon had started to reach for the boy, as if to keep him away from the silver-haired male but both a warning growl from Sesshomaru and Riverwind catching her by the waist prevented her from doing so. Once the child was safe within Sesshomaru's, and only then, would the demon calm down. The only one, it had seemed, that didn't even appear the least bit ruffled by the strange male's behaviour was Tasselhoff. Tanis wasn't even sure if there was anything that would ruffle the kender.

'Of course, Inuyasha wasn't too seriously rattled, either,' Tanis mused as he took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. 'It was like he was expecting it. _I_ should have been expecting it . . . especially after what Sesshomaru had told me . . .'

Tanis immediately shook his head. It didn't matter, he decided. Sesshomaru had told him that he and Inuyasha had a demon for a father. He'd been told . . . warned . . . but he hadn't truly believed it. Not until he'd seen the demon in action. Now he was faced with a rather strange dilemma. Should he allow the demon and the child to continue traveling with them or should he send them away?

As the questions came to him, he cast one more glance at the demon and the half-demon child that he carried in his arms. The boy appeared to be safe and looked quite content to be held in his half-brother's arms. His eyes even drooped some, as if he'd forgotten the horrible ordeal that he'd gone through. Inuyasha had a rather angelic appearance about him, despite the soft, furry white ears on the top of his head. Even Sesshomaru had a peaceful expression.

And, in looking at them, he knew the answer to his questions. He couldn't tell them to leave no more than what he could tell Caramon and Raistlin to, or even Goldmoon and Riverwind for that matter.

'Besides,' his mind began to rationalize, 'those . . . things went after Inuyasha as well as Goldmoon's staff. They didn't have to. He's just a child. No threat to anyone.'

'You sure about that?' a strange voice inquired. 'If the child isn't a threat to whoever is behind this, why would those creatures be after him?'

To that, Tanis had no answers.

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Sesshomaru drew a deep breath then slowly let it out. Never before in his life had he been so frightened of losing someone as he had in that moment those strange draconic creatures had tried to take Inuyasha from him. Why he'd been that scared, he didn't know. He just . . . had. The desire to protect had overridden all of his senses and he'd done the only thing he could think of. He attacked. He slaughtered. He left none standing, and sent a message to whoever had sent them to leave his brother alone. Death awaited them should they try again.

'But why Inuyasha?' he wondered. 'What would anyone want with a half-breed? There isn't anything special about Inuyasha . . . or is there?'

For a moment, Sesshomaru reflected on the battles he'd had with Inuyasha in the past. Despite his half-breed nature, Inuyasha had been unusually strong. Even if it seemed that he had the upper hand over his sibling, Inuyasha had always managed to hold his own against Sesshomaru, even being able to defeat the daiyoukai on many occasions.

A light smile graced his lips as he thought of those fights. Of course, Inuyasha had been able to stand toe to toe in battle with him. He had the blood of the great InuTaisho flowing through him. It was only natural for Inuyasha to have that strength. Then there was the boy's natural beauty and grace, something that, no doubt, had come from their family's bloodline. In fact, compared to the rest of the family, Inuyasha had a very exotic-looking appearance, and it all centered around his eyes.

Before he could allow those thoughts to continue, Sesshomaru blinked then violently shook his head. This was his brother. He would _not_ think about the boy like that, especially with Inuyasha in his current condition. Still, now that the thought had come to him . . .

'Not now,' he firmly scolded himself. 'Not now. However, once we get home and he's back to normal . . .'

He let the thought trail off. After all, he had to get them home first before he could do anything.

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"My Queen, I have some news . . ."

"Oh?" An eyebrow rose at that statement. It didn't sound good. She didn't like it when her subordinates gave her bad news. "What is it?"

"It's about the child . . ."

"They failed, didn't they?"

"Yes, my Queen. They did."

"Kill them."

"We can't."

"And why not?"

"Because the brother already has."


	6. Chapter 6

Sesshomaru gazed at the night sky, idly noting the strange constellations and the number of moons. Around him slept his traveling companions, as he had opted to take the first watch . . . not that he'd actually wake anyone to take over. The watches during the night afforded him some time to reflect on recent events.

He and Inuyasha were not in their homeland. They were not even in their world, if the stars and moons gave him any indication. That strange green water had seen to that. Why they were in this strange place, Sesshomaru didn't know. He just knew that they were there and that Inuyasha had been turned into a child in the process . . . with a war brewing around them.

A war.

The thought hit Sesshomaru like nothing else could. They were becoming involved in a war that didn't concern them, that would never concern them. Whoever had brought them there had a reason for it.

'A reason that has to do with Inuyasha,' he thought, his gaze landing on the boy. Since the incident a few days before, when those strange creatures had tried to kidnap him, the hanyou had not let Sesshomaru out of his sight, not for a single moment. Inuyasha panicked the moment Sesshomaru stepped away for even the tiniest of things.

Not that Sesshomaru could blame him. He couldn't imagine what it had to be like to be reverted into a small and somewhat defenseless child. Granted, Inuyasha wasn't truly defenseless – most inuyoukai and inu hanyou weren't, not even at Inuyasha's current age – but many insecurities still lay within the boy. They were insecurities that had been instilled into the hanyou by many, Sesshomaru included.

'And I can't leave him to find a way home for myself . . . these people would not be able to protect him . . . not from those creatures . . . they can't even protect themselves from what lies ahead.'

Carefully, Sesshomaru lifted Inuyasha into his arms and held him close. The longer they stayed together, the better their chances were of surviving . . . and getting back home.

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Caramon couldn't help but watch in envy as Sesshomaru cradled his younger brother close to him. It was a protective embrace. Anyone with two eyes could see it.

There had been a time when his brother had looked up to him, the same way that Inuyasha did Sesshomaru. Of course, there wasn't an age gap between him and Raistlin as there obviously was between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru but the protectiveness was still there.

Despite his envy, he couldn't begrudge either Sesshomaru or Inuyasha for what they had. In his own way, Raistlin still needed him like that. As long as that happened, Caramon was fine.

'And Inuyasha is kind of cute,' the warrior smiled. 'For a half-demon child, that is.'

Closing his eyes, Caramon's mind drifted back to a time when he and his brother were still children . . . and having the time of their lives.

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Blood flowed from his wrists and ankles as he thrashed against the bonds that held him. He had several deep lacerations along his back and sides from the torment that he had to endure. His head hung low from the amount of blood that he'd lost. He'd been weakened that much.

But endure it he would. As long as they didn't have the one they needed or wanted, he would endure. The child had to be protected . . . no matter the cost to him. He found his strength in that. He lifted his head and smiled a little, despite the blood that flowed into his eyes.

'Please . . . keep him protected . . . I'm counting on you . . . Do not fail me . . .'

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Sesshomaru's eyes flew open and he felt his breath hitching in his throat.

He'd had the strangest of dreams . . . which was unusual in and of itself. Most youkai _didn't_ dream. Not unless that youkai was being warned of something to come . . . which Sesshomaru felt he had been.

In his dream, he had seen his father, shackled and beaten yet still looking the proud and dignified youkai that he recalled the Inu no Taisho being. Why his father had been shackled as he had, Sesshomaru didn't know. It was what he had seen.

Then his father had raised his head, as if he were _looking_ straight at Sesshomaru and seeing him. He had his father speak, though his lips had never moved.

_'Please . . . keep him protected . . . I'm counting on you . . . Do not fail me . . .'_

Whoever held his father like that was the one that wanted Inuyasha. Sesshomaru felt as much and it was not for a good purpose. He'd heard a strong sense of urgency in his father's voice, and he'd caught snippets of some great catastrophe yet to come.

Immediately, Sesshomaru glanced around the campsite, searching for his brother . . . only to have the boy's tiny, lithe form burrow itself closer to him. Relieved, but not daring to show it, Sesshomaru reached over to wake the boy. They had a lot to do in a single day and a day was never long enough to ge anything done.

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Harsh, crimson eyes stared at the small troop of Draconians assembled. There weren't many but then that was what had been decided. They didn't need force to capture the one that they wanted but rather stealth.

"We've perfected them, my Queen," came the simple statement. "They will be extremely hard to detect, even by scent. That should give them an advantage to get the boy."

"They had better be. Otherwise, your blood will be the next to grace these walls."

"Yes, my Queen."


	7. Chapter 7

Elvish eyes watched as the small child scampered ahead of them, picking wildflowers as he went. A small child with dog ears on the top of his head instead of on the sides, like a human or an elf.

Of course, Tanis knew about the boy's heritage. Sesshomaru had been rather forthcoming about it, had even taken a bit of gleeful pride in telling him.

That had been a few days ago. Since then, there had been no more attacks against their group and it had Tanis worried. Not only did they have a staff of healing in their possession but they had the half-demon child that someone had wanted. Badly. Enough so that an army of strange lizard creatures had completely ignored Goldmoon with her goddess staff when they first attacked.

'Why, though?' he wondered as he continued to watch the boy. 'What's so special about this child? I know he's of demon blood. So is his brother. Why go after the younger one and not the older? It doesn't make any sense.'

From what he'd observed, Sesshomaru possessed the greater power out of any of them. He could cast spells yet wield a sword where Raistlin could not. Out of all of them, Sesshomaru would have no problems surviving on his own or in defending his brother.

'Yet he stays. Why?'

A thousand questions, it seemed, swirled around in the half-elf's mind and he couldn't make any sense out of them. The more he tried, the more confused he became. He tried not to think about such things but found they wouldn't leave him alone. It gave him headaches just thinking about it.

"He isn't going anywhere, elf."

His heart leapt into his throat at the sound of Sesshomaru's quiet tone and Tanis found himself trying to refrain from yelling at the demon. Carefully, he turned his head so that his eyes landed on the silver-haired male.

"I know that," he replied evenly.

"Then why do you insist on watching him as if he's going to disappear any moment?"

Tanis opened his mouth to protest but found that the words wouldn't form. He _had_ been watching the boy closely, moreso since the attack.

'And why is that?' he wondered. 'What is it about this child that has me intrigued?'

He found that he couldn't really answer that question, either. Tanis simply knew that the boy _had_ him intrigued. The child was simply carefree . . . and happy. For being someone of mixed blood, it was strange.

"It isn't because I'm afraid he'll disappear," Tanis began, not even realizing the full extent of his words. "He's of mixed blood, like myself. And I can't help but notice how happy he is. I was never that happy as a child . . . not growing up as I did."

"You are of mixed blood? How . . . unusual," Sesshomaru murmured, almost as if he were amused by something in Tanis's confession.

"Yes," Tanis found himself wincing. "I am. Half-elf, half-human. My father . . . raped my mother."

"Your father was the human then."

"Yes," the half-elf nodded, noting the faint hint of disgust in Sesshomaru's tone. Others may not have noticed it but he had. "He did. Inuyasha . . ."

"Was created and born out of love," Sesshomaru stated succinctly. "Our father possessed more honour than most humans could even begin to comprehend. He wouldn't stoop so low as to rape a female. Our father loved his mother greatly. So much so that he died for her. Foolish of him but it was his decision."

"Foolish of him?"

"She was my father's only weakness. Anyone who knew of their relationship could attack her and anger him. Only a fool would get involved with a mortal."

"Are you sure about that?"

"He's dead, isn't he?" came the cold reply.

To that, Tanis winced. Not so much for the factual statement but the coldness in Sesshomaru's tone. Most people would not have had such a view.

'Of course, he's demon. Demons have a different sense of the world than everyone else,' he told himself. 'Maybe that's how come Sesshomaru can be the way that he is.'

"That may be," he murmured, "but I'm sure he found something greater than what you or I could even begin to imagine, Sesshomaru. Love does funny things to people, after all."

"Yes," Sesshomaru replied slowly, his own gaze landing on Inuyasha. "Indeed it does."

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The flowers tickled at his nose and he found that he had a hard time refraining from sneezing. Still Inuyasha continued to pick wildflowers. He didn't know why he was doing so. He really didn't have anyone to give them to. Goldmoon seemed to be the only one who appreciated such little gifts.

'She's such a nice lady,' Inuyasha thought, scampering forward the moment another flower caught his attention. 'She's not Mama but she's still nice.'

He hadn't really expected anyone to be nice to him after his mother's death. Most humans threw stones at him and tried to beat him with sticks. The humans he and his brother were traveling with didn't seem to be so inclined to do so. Of course, there were only six humans. The others in the group were like humans but they weren't. Even at his age, Inuyasha could tell that they weren't. Two of the companions were nearly as tall as he was but they weren't children. And the red-headed man that talked to his brother . . . he was half-human, same as Inuyasha. The boy found that to be quite intriguing.

'Maybe he'd like some flowers,' Inuyasha thought, grabbing the violet-hued blossom that had caught his attention. 'He always looks so grumpy. Same as that Flint man.'

An image of the two men with flower wreaths wrapped around their heads popped into the youngster's mind at that moment, causing him to giggle. It wasn't something he did much of, giggling or envisioning silly things. His life, so far, hadn't afforded such tiny luxuries.

'One day,' a little voice promised him. 'One day, you will. Things will get better. You'll see.'

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'Everything's good so far,' the old mage thought, relief washing over him. The half-demon child, from where he was watching, was picking wildflowers and staying within a safe distance of the companions. As long as the boy didn't stray from sight and as long as the Dark Queen's servants couldn't find them, the half-demon child was safe.

'Don't worry, little one. You will be protected. Even if you don't know about what hunts you.'

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Above her, the stars glittered brightly against a dark blanket of sky. Soon, her forces would be mobilized and another city would be conquered. She could celebrate another victory at long last.

'Too bad, Tanis isn't here to see this,' the dark-haired woman thought with a wistful sigh. 'I would have liked to have known his answer.'

So many things were going to change and it was going to be all for the better. Kitiara knew as much. The lands would be united under the Dark Queen.

It was a glorious quest, to be sure. The only thing that saddened her would be the loss of one of her friends.

Sturm would die. She knew as much, if only because he wouldn't stand for what she was doing. He'd die defending others. He was a Knight of Solamnia, after all.

'At least he'll have a death worthy of someone of his status.'

With that thought to console her on her friend's imminent death, Kitiara poured herself another glass of wine and drank it down. Then she called her lieutenant to her. She had a victory to celebrate, after all.

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'Pathetic,' Raistlin thought as he watched the young half-demon child handing flowers to the barbarian maiden. 'So pathetic. She's going to eventually die anyway. Just like those flowers he's picked for her. Why does he even bother?'

Unlike their fellow companions, much to Raistlin's surprise, Inuyasha and his older brother, Sesshomaru, appeared to him as they did to his companions. Young, vital . . . full of life. No hints of death about them. Their silver hair, their golden eyes . . . Sesshomaru wasn't so much of a surprise as Inuyasha was. The boy, from what he'd heard, had been birthed by a human mother. He was half-human, same as Tanis. Why Inuyasha appeared so youthful to him, Raistilin didn't know. He should have appeared as a decaying youngster . . . like everyone else.

'Maybe I shouldn't begrudge him that,' the mage thought momentarily. 'He's a small boy. He can't help what's been given to him.'

Still, every time the boy came near him, or at least Caramon, Raistlin felt his hackles rising. Something about the boy felt off. He couldn't explain it, he couldn't even begin to describe it. Something wasn't right with the boy, and Raistlin could tell. He didn't want Inuyasha anywhere near him and Inuyasha, it seemed, appeared to have picked up on it. The boy hardly drew close to the mage.

'All the better,' Raistlin told himself. 'In fact, the further away, the better. If only Tanis would send him and his brother away . . .'

'He can't do that,' a little voice whispered. 'The child needs to be protected from those who would harm him.'

'Who could harm a half-demon child?'

'The Dark Queen, of course.'

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Goldmoon felt a blush creep onto her face as Inuyasha presented her with a fistful of wildflowers. Why the child was being so affectionate towards her, she couldn't quite say. She knew that she was the only female in the group so she attributed his affectionate behaviour to that. After all, she hadn't seen him approach Sesshomaru with any wildflowers.

"For you!" came the chirp.

"Thank you," Goldmoon murmured, accepting the blooms. Inuyasha immediately beamed at her then scurried to where his older brother stood. The moment he reached the older demon, Inuyasha's demeanor changed. He became quiet and stoic, much like Sesshomaru. It saddened the chieftain's daughter to see it.

'The world needs more little ones like you, Inuyasha,' she thought to herself. 'Not more like Sesshomaru.'

Still, she knew she couldn't say anything to the boy about it. Inuyasha was not her child, not her responsibility. Sesshomaru had coldly informed her of much when she'd said something to him about it. Goldmoon believed his attitude towards the boy to be wrong, though, and nothing would change her mind.

"He's taken a liking to you," a soft voice commented. She turned her head towards Riverwind and she gave him a slight nod.

"So he has, though I'm not sure why."

"Because he can sense you have a kind heart," he stated. "The child is not a fool. He's wiser than what he appears to be."

"I know he isn't a fool," Goldmoon smiled faintly, tucking the flowers into her shirt. "And I'm sure that he can sense a great many things. It still doesn't mean I understand why he's showing me the affection that he has and no one else."

"You are the only one who expects nothing of him," Riverwind said in their own language. "I've seen him with the others and I have seen him with you. You do not shy away from him, even though you know what he is. Perhaps, in some small and strange way, you remind him of his own mother."

"That could be,"she nodded. "That could very well be."

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His brother was at his side once more. Sesshomaru didn't even have to look down to know as much. Despite his tendencies to try and not make his presence known, Inuyasha still subtly let him know that he was there.

Not that Sesshomaru minded much. After his revelations, he knew that he needed to protect the boy, just as he had known he'd need to protect Rin once he took the girl into his care. Children, he noted, had a funny way of affecting adults that way.

'Rin,' he sighed to himself. 'I hope nothing's happened to you. If something has, Jaken will not live to see another day.'

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There was something strange in the air. What it was, Tasselhoff couldn't say. He only knew that he could sense, almost taste it, as if it were tangible.

'What's going on?' he wondered, turning his nose towards the sky. 'Is something changing?'

Somehow, he felt he knew the answer to that question. How or why, he couldn't say. He just knew, and another voice screamed at him.

'Tell Tanis.'

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"My Queen, I have some good news."

"What is it this time?"

"Our little army has found the boy."

"Good. Inform me of when they arrive with the boy. Any more failures will not be tolerated."

"Yes, my Queen."


End file.
